One of the big pre draft debates we've had over the past few years occurred in the spring of 2017, TC's first with the team since returning from the Giants.  There were any number of options available to the team at the time, including two of the brighter young QB prospects in Mahomes and Watson.  But undeniably, RB was a huge need for the team, and the debate was whether we should go with the hammering power back in Leonard Fournette, or the smaller back with more wiggle in Cook.

I predicted the team would go with Fournette given TC's return to the team and his track record of utilizing power backs here and with the Giants, though I thought if Cook could stay out of trouble, he would make an outstanding back.

I don't think either guy has definitively proven to be better yet, because both have battled injuries, but as hard as it is to believe, Fournette hase been more available and ultimately more productive than Cook.  Cook has the higher YPC average, but Fournette's rookie year totals alone surpasses Cook's aggregate total.

So forgetting the Jaguars passing up on the QB for the moment and sticking solely with the RBs, id the Jaguars make the right move in selecting Fournette over Cook?

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

A lot of us wanted McCaffrey

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Cook was never in trouble once he got his life together in high school. It was an old narrative that stuck around. He got in some trouble from the airsoft gun stuff that the whole team was doing. He just happened to be one of the ones who was there when property was damaged. Then the drunk girls got pissed he didn't want to allow them a chance to win a million dollar lottery ticket and told them to get lost. The dogs being chained up outside was bad, but where he grew up, that is normal and I really doubt he thought anything of it before. He didn't have any problems again after that.

Cook is the better RB hands down. Cook hardly ever had holes like LF did in college because FSU's OL was so bad. Without Cook, Jimbo gets fired or runs from FSU years sooner. Cook can make plays when there is no hole and sees the holes better than LF.

LF has 1 thing and it is straight line speed. He can sometimes run over defenders, but nothing like MJD did. LF wasn't even on my list as options, he was a product of playing against garbage defenses and getting huge holes where all he had to do was run straight. When those holes disappeared against better teams, Bama, he stunk it up. DC beat teams on his own by making a cut to hit a home run.


The only option should have been Cook or McCaffrey.

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To me, it is too early to tell. I think the world of Dalvin Cook though and think that he is a "Modern Day Offense" RB. Fournette is more old school, but that doesn't mean he can't be effective and versatile. If one thing surprises me though, it's this smattering of "attitude issues" that has popped up with Fournette. I did not expect this as everything I had heard about him was that he was a very good teammate at LSU.

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I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

A lot of us wanted McCaffrey

Yup
I had Run CMC and Cook ahead of Fournette for sure

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If you ignore Fournette’s immaturity, I think he’s still the better all around back and prospect. If you include it, Cook probably is the better option.

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A lot of us wanted McCaffrey

I remember that there were some that wanted McCaffrey, but I seem to recall the bulk of the discussion/debate centered on Fournette v. Cook.

Though I thought McCaffrey would be a good weapon out of the backfield, I didnt think he was the between the tackles pounder the team wanted or needed in Fournette.

Admittedly, McCaffrey had a spectacular year last year, but I still have my doubts about his ability to consistently pound the ball between the tackles and convert short yardage.

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The only option should have been Cook or McCaffrey.

Even knowing what you know now?

Why doesn't Cook's lack of durability/availability get held against him the way it has been against Fournette?

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

A lot of us wanted McCaffrey

I remember that there were some that wanted McCaffrey, but I seem to recall the bulk of the discussion/debate centered on Fournette v. Cook.

Though I thought McCaffrey would be a good weapon out of the backfield, I didnt think he was the between the tackles pounder the team wanted or needed in Fournette.

Admittedly, McCaffrey had a spectacular year last year, but I still have my doubts about his ability to consistently pound the ball between the tackles and convert short yardage.

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The only option should have been Cook or McCaffrey.

Even knowing what you know now?

Why doesn't Cook's lack of durability/availability get held against him the way it has been against Fournette?

Cook played through a hamstring injury so bad he could barely run in college. LF is not the same.

While Cook was hurt with the ACL, he can still create his own hole. LF needs a huge hole created for him.

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I remember that there were some that wanted McCaffrey, but I seem to recall the bulk of the discussion/debate centered on Fournette v. Cook.

Though I thought McCaffrey would be a good weapon out of the backfield, I didnt think he was the between the tackles pounder the team wanted or needed in Fournette.

Admittedly, McCaffrey had a spectacular year last year, but I still have my doubts about his ability to consistently pound the ball between the tackles and convert short yardage.

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Even knowing what you know now?

Why doesn't Cook's lack of durability/availability get held against him the way it has been against Fournette?

Cook played through a hamstring injury so bad he could barely run in college. LF is not the same.

While Cook was hurt with the ACL, he can still create his own hole. LF needs a huge hole created for him.

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Yet the Vikings drafted three offensive linemen this year and two each of the prior two years.  You overstate Cook's elusiveness.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

A lot of us wanted McCaffrey

I remember that there were some that wanted McCaffrey, but I seem to recall the bulk of the discussion/debate centered on Fournette v. Cook.

Though I thought McCaffrey would be a good weapon out of the backfield, I didnt think he was the between the tackles pounder the team wanted or needed in Fournette.

Admittedly, McCaffrey had a spectacular year last year, but I still have my doubts about his ability to consistently pound the ball between the tackles and convert short yardage.

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The only option should have been Cook or McCaffrey.

Even knowing what you know now?

Why doesn't Cook's lack of durability/availability get held against him the way it has been against Fournette?

McCaffrey was one of the best backs in the country in between the tackles.  The only guys that wanted Cook was FSU fans.  There was a reason he was a top 10 pick, he was much more than just a reciever out of the backfield.  He was and is a great runner as well, you dont have to be a power back to be good between the tackles, LT and Faulk.  If we wanted a back we should of taken the best back regardless of style, that was McCaffrey.  You dont beat Barry Sanders record by accident, you have to be a special player and he showed it on the field every week and its showing in the pros as well, not to mention it's in his blood.

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I remember that there were some that wanted McCaffrey, but I seem to recall the bulk of the discussion/debate centered on Fournette v. Cook.

Though I thought McCaffrey would be a good weapon out of the backfield, I didnt think he was the between the tackles pounder the team wanted or needed in Fournette.

Admittedly, McCaffrey had a spectacular year last year, but I still have my doubts about his ability to consistently pound the ball between the tackles and convert short yardage.

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Even knowing what you know now?

Why doesn't Cook's lack of durability/availability get held against him the way it has been against Fournette?

McCaffrey was one of the best backs in the country in between the tackles.  The only guys that wanted Cook was FSU fans.  There was a reason he was a top 10 pick, he was much more than just a reciever out of the backfield.  He was and is a great runner as well, you dont have to be a power back to be good between the tackles, LT and Faulk.  If we wanted a back we should of taken the best back regardless of style, that was McCaffrey.  You dont beat Barry Sanders record by accident, you have to be a special player and he showed it on the field every week and its showing in the pros as well, not to mention it's in his blood.

Alot of people i knew wanted McCaffrey or Cook(FSU fans mostly).  As a gator fan myself, i never though LF would just dominate in the NFL.  I never feared LSU's offense when he was there and didn't think he would be running over NFL caliber players.  He has done more than i expected honestly, but McCaffrey was a beast prospect pre-draft.  I remember him running better routes than the alot of the receivers coming out.

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Season Tix, Section 409

2023 and still counting.....SB will finally be ours soon enough.
TLaw aka 'the prince that was promised' supporter.

McCaffrey > Fournette > Cook

That was my order going into that draft at the position. At the end of the day though. Kamara probably would have been the better choice IMHO. And I honestly didn't know anything about him coming out of college. Hunt would have been another good choice potentially. Maybe that incident doesn't happen if he's in Jacksonville. We'll never know. Joe Mixon has also turned out pretty well for the Bengals.

2017 had a pretty damn good class at RB. That's for sure.

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

McCaffrey > Fournette > Cook

That was my order going into that draft at the position. At the end of the day though. Kamara probably would have been the better choice IMHO. And I honestly didn't know anything about him coming out of college. Hunt would have been another good choice potentially. Maybe that incident doesn't happen if he's in Jacksonville. We'll never know. Joe Mixon has also turned out pretty well for the Bengals.

2017 had a pretty damn good class at RB. That's for sure.

Mixon was my choice and I liked Kamara but NEVER envisioned he'd be THIS good in the pros. Still think we should've gone with Jamal Adams and then Mixon in the 2nd round; his DV incident at OU i think was overblown and i didn't think it would re-occur or be an ongoing issue. I'm happy with Fournette but in such a LOADED RB draft ... why burn a top 5 pick at the position?

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Championship Formula:

1) Draft Trevor Lawrence!
2) Play good physical Defense! 
3) Keep 91% of the roster healthy!
4) ???
5) Blank #2
6) CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

McCaffrey > Fournette > Cook

That was my order going into that draft at the position. At the end of the day though. Kamara probably would have been the better choice IMHO. And I honestly didn't know anything about him coming out of college. Hunt would have been another good choice potentially. Maybe that incident doesn't happen if he's in Jacksonville. We'll never know. Joe Mixon has also turned out pretty well for the Bengals.

2017 had a pretty damn good class at RB. That's for sure.

As good as Kamara is if Mccaffrey was on NO I think he would be better

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A lot of us wanted McCaffrey

I remember that there were some that wanted McCaffrey, but I seem to recall the bulk of the discussion/debate centered on Fournette v. Cook.

Though I thought McCaffrey would be a good weapon out of the backfield, I didnt think he was the between the tackles pounder the team wanted or needed in Fournette.

Admittedly, McCaffrey had a spectacular year last year, but I still have my doubts about his ability to consistently pound the ball between the tackles and convert short yardage.

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The only option should have been Cook or McCaffrey.

Even knowing what you know now?

Why doesn't Cook's lack of durability/availability get held against him the way it has been against Fournette?

He’s looking to alter that image this year.



I bet you wouldn’t say that to his face

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"Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot."

I remember that there were some that wanted McCaffrey, but I seem to recall the bulk of the discussion/debate centered on Fournette v. Cook.

Though I thought McCaffrey would be a good weapon out of the backfield, I didnt think he was the between the tackles pounder the team wanted or needed in Fournette.

Admittedly, McCaffrey had a spectacular year last year, but I still have my doubts about his ability to consistently pound the ball between the tackles and convert short yardage.

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Even knowing what you know now?

Why doesn't Cook's lack of durability/availability get held against him the way it has been against Fournette?

He’s looking to alter that image this year.



I bet you wouldn’t say that to his face

PED failure coming in 5..4..3

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McCaffrey > Fournette > Cook

That was my order going into that draft at the position. At the end of the day though. Kamara probably would have been the better choice IMHO. And I honestly didn't know anything about him coming out of college. Hunt would have been another good choice potentially. Maybe that incident doesn't happen if he's in Jacksonville. We'll never know. Joe Mixon has also turned out pretty well for the Bengals.

2017 had a pretty damn good class at RB. That's for sure.

As good as Kamara is if Mccaffrey was on NO I think he would be better

Agreed. I really wish we would have went that route instead of with Fournette. It's nothing personal. I just know McCaffrey comes from one hell of an athletic family with proven staying power in the NFL. And he was all over the field at Stanford. I just hope Leonard can stay healthy this year and get back to his rookie form and surpass that production wise. When he's healthy he can be dangerous on the drop of a dime.

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

I was all about just not taking a RB early in that draft at all.
I did like McCaffery over LF - but I'd probably have picked Jonathan Allen if it were me at that pick and waited till the fourth or fifth to draft RBs that were on my radar like Gallman, Mack, McNichols or McGuire.

I did suggest trading down for Mahomes in that draft - but he ended up going a couple of picks prior to the selection I suggested trading for.

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I was in rehab leading up to the draft and during the draft. Who was on the jags radar and was there really any serious consideration for QB with our pick?

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I was in rehab leading up to the draft and during the draft. Who was on the jags radar and was there really any serious consideration for QB with our pick?

From my perspective many fans and analysts thought Fournette just made too much sense and had to be the pick. 
Around 60% of this board seemed to be all in on that idea. 
Anytime I bad-mouthed the idea, four or five Fournette fans would tell me how stupid I was. 

No one really anticipated they'd pick a QB early, though many were hoping they would. 

Other players on the Jags radar here and around the interwebs included the top safety prospects and a couple of d-linemen.
 A strong handful wanted the TE, Howard at 4. 
Most of us figured TC would never take a TE that high. 
There was a small contingent that want Deshaun Watson, Kizer, or Lamar Jackson at the pick, but again most figured QB wouldn't happen early for the Jags.

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